E.K. Bergey 1935 Original Oil Painting of Jim Thorpe Used for The Cover of Street & Smith's Sport Story Magazine

Earle K. Bergey was one of the most renowned American painters of pin-up art. Born in Philadelphia, he attended the Academy of Fine Arts from 1921 to 1926. After leaving the academy, Bergey initially went to work in the art department of the Philadelphia Ledger, also producing many covers for the pulp magazines of publisher Fiction House. In 1935, while continuing to paint for Fiction House, Bergey also accepted assignments for The Saturday Evening Post. After opening a studio in New York City, the artist painted for a number of mainstream magazines such as Liberty, as well as painting covers for a number of science fiction magazines, such as Standard Publishers' Strange Stories, Captain Future, Planet Stories and others. His lone sports endeavor came when he was commisioned by Street & Smith's to produce a rendering of Jim Thorpe for the cover of their December, 1935 issue of Sport Story Magazine. The feature article in that issue, written by Arthur Mann, was account on the life and career of Jim Thorpe, recognized as the greatest multi sport athlete of all-time. The Bergey painting depicts Thorpe in a famous football pose, with a visage of him in an Indian head-dress in the background celebrating his Native-American heritage. The colorful oil on canvas painting measures 18" by 26" and is signed by the artist. Framed.